Hair sectioning tool

Abstract

A sectioning tool for sectioning the hair on a person's head allows individual sections of hair to be easily, quickly and thoroughly treated with chemical solutions such as hair colors, tints or relaxers. The tool includes a base member having two substantially perpendicular legs, one of which is used to secure the tool in the hair next to the scalp. A plurality of finger means are individually movably mounted on the second leg from a first position where they divide the hair into a plurality of sections and to a second position so that the section of hair held between individual ones of the finger means is released for treatment.

I claim: 
     
       1. A hair sectioning tool to divide the hair on a person's head into a plurality of sections to facilitate the manipulation thereof comprising a base member having first and second substantially perpendicular legs, said first leg having means to engage a portion of said hair to retain said base member in a desired position on said head, and   a plurality of finger means individually movably mounted on said second leg of said base member for movement between a first position in which said finger means are side-by-side one another to a second position in which said finger means are not side-by-side fingers in said first position.   
     
     
       2. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 1 in which said second leg of said base member has a plurality of spaced-apart apertures for slidably receiving said finger means, whereby said finger means can be slidably retracted from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
       3. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 2 in which each of said finger means has a first end, a midportion, and a second end, said midportion being of a cross section slightly smaller than the cross section of said aperture in said second leg of said base member to allow slidable retraction, said first end comprising a handle larger in cross section than said aperture to prevent sliding movement of said first end through said aperture. 
     
     
       4. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 3 in which said second end of said finger means is tapered to provide ease of insertion of said tool into said hair. 
     
     
       5. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 3 or 4 in which said second end is provided with a portion having a cross section greater than the cross section of said apertures in said second leg of said base member decreasing in cross section toward said second end facilitating the insertion of said finger means into said aperture in said second leg of said base member but inhibiting its removal. 
     
     
       6. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second leg of said base member comprises a cylindrical rod and wherein each of said finger means has a first end provided with a first transverse aperture for receiving said cylindrical rod whereby said finger means can be pivoted about said cylindrical rod from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
       7. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 6 wherein each of said first ends of said finger means has a second transverse aperture substantially parallel to said first aperture and said first leg of said base member has an aperture colinear with each of said second transverse apertures when said finger means are in said first position for removably receiving an independent rod whereby when said independent rod is inserted in said second apertures and said aperture in said first leg of said base member said finger means cannot be pivoted about said cylindrical rod and are retained in said first position. 
     
     
       8. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 6 or 7 wherein in each of said finger means, said first end of said finger means is of larger dimension in the direction of said cylindrical rod than the remainder of said finger means to provide spacing between adjacent ones of said remainders of said finger means. 
     
     
       9. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 6 or 7 in which said finger means has a second end tapered to provide ease of insertion of said tool into said hair. 
     
     
       10. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 7 wherein said cylindrical rod has a first end connected to said first leg of said base member and a second end having means for retaining said finger means on said cylindrical rod. 
     
     
       11. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 7 made of a plastics material inert to hair treating chemicals. 
     
     
       12. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 11 further comprising bendable metallic shape-retaining reinforcements encased by said plastics material. 
     
     
       13. A hair sectioning tool for dividing the hair of a persons head into a plurality of segments to facilitate the manipulation of the hair comprising an elongated base member having holding means for engagement of a hair portion for maintaining said hair sectioning tool in a given position on the persons head,   a plurality of elongated fingers and mounting means for movably supporting said fingers on said elongated base member at a first position of substantially coplanar parallel alignment and extension of said fingers to one another to one side of said base member to divide the persons hair into a plurality of segments and for selective individual movement of said fingers out of the coplanar parallel alignment and extension of the first position thereof to a second position with at least the main length thereof extending to another side of said base member to selectively expose the hair segment between given ones of said fingers for manipulation thereof.   
     
     
       14. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 13 in which said mounting means for movably supporting said fingers comprises a leg of said base member having a plurality of spaced-apart apertures for slidably receiving said fingers, whereby said fingers can be slidably retracted from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
       15. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 14 in which each of said fingers has a first end, a midportion, and a second end, said midportion being of a cross section slightly smaller than the cross section of said aperture in said leg of said base member to allow slidable retraction, said first end comprising a handle larger in cross section than said aperture to prevent sliding movement of said first end through said aperture. 
     
     
       16. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 15 in which said second ends of said fingers are tapered to provide ease of insertion of said tool into said hair. 
     
     
       17. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 15 or 16 in which said second ends are provided with portions having a cross section greater than the cross section of said apertures in said leg of said base member decreasing in cross section toward said second end, facilitating the insertion of said fingers into said apertures in said leg of said base member but inhibiting their removal. 
     
     
       18. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 13 wherein said base member comprises a cylindrical rod and wherein each of said fingers has a first end provided with a first transverse aperture for receiving said cylindrical rod whereby said fingers can be pivoted about said cylindrical rod from said first position to said second position. 
     
     
       19. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 18 wherein each of said first ends of said fingers has a second transverse aperture substantially parallel to said first aperture and said base member has an aperture colinear with each of said second transverse apertures when said fingers are in said first position for removably receiving an independent rod, whereby when said independent rod is inserted in said second apertures and said aperture in said base member said fingers cannot be pivoted about said cylindrical rod and are retained in said first position. 
     
     
       20. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 18 or 19 wherein in each of said fingers, said first end of said finger is of larger dimension in the direction of said cylindrical rod than the remainder of said finger to provide spacing between adjacent ones of said remainders of said fingers. 
     
     
       21. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in either claim 18 or 19 in which each said finger has a second end tapered to provide ease of insertion of said tool into the hair. 
     
     
       22. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 19 wherein said cylindrical rod has a first end connected to said base member and a second end having means for retaining said fingers on said cylindrical rod. 
     
     
       23. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in any of claims 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 or 19 made of a plastics material inert to hair treating chemicals. 
     
     
       24. A hair sectioning tool as claimed in claim 23 further comprising bendable metallic shape-retaining reinforcements encased by said plastics material.